Cable binding clip



April 7, 1964 Y' v Q 3,127,648

CABLE BINDING CLIP Filed Oct. 26, 1961' Invemor Edgak Frank Emery M 4 A?Torneys United States Patent 3,127,648 CABLE BINDING CLIP Edgar FrankEmery, Sharston Worlrs, Leestone Road, Sharston, Manchester 22, EnglandFiled Oct. 26, 1961, Ser. No. 147,894 Claims priority, application GreatBritain Nov. 1, 1960 5 Claims. (Cl. 24-16) The invention concerns cableor like binding clips.

There has been a need in the trade for a simple, inexpensive, yeteffective cable binding clip and it is among the objects of the presentinvention to provide a clip possessing, at least in part, all of thesefeatures.

According to the present invention a cable or like binding clipcomprises an elongated tongue portion, a head portion integral with oneend of said tongue portion and adapted to receive into engagementtherewith the other end of said tongue portion, at least one ratchetelement mounted relative to said head portion and adapted to co-operatetherewith to allow passage thereby of said tongue portion in onedirection, such direction corresponding to the direction of engagementof the tongue portion with the head portion, but to prevent withdrawalof such tongue portion in the reverse direction.

The term ratchet means is to be construed in this specification andappended claims as referring to an ar rangement such as will allow of arelative motion between parts in one direction but which will preventrelative motion in the reverse direction.

In a preferred form of embodiment the ratchet means comprises an elementor elements of such form and so pivotally mounted within or adjacentsaid head portion as to be displaceable from a normal position to allowpassage thereby of said tongue portion in one direction, such directioncorresponding to the direction of engagement of the tongue portion withthe head portion, but being adapted to return to said normal positionupon movement of said tongue portion in the reverse direction andthereupon to abut and grip said tongue portion and thus prevent movementthereof in said reverse direction.

More particularly according to the present invention transverse bars orserrations are provided on said tongue portion with sensiblycomplementary serrations on said element or elements.

The invention will now be described further, by way of example only,with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating two embodimentsthereof and in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view, partly cut away, of a preferredembodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a side elevation partly in section of the binding clip shownin FIG. 1 when in use.

Referring now to the drawings a cable or like binding clip 11 comprisesan elongated tongue portion 11a, a head portion 11b integral with saidtongue portion and ratchet means 12 associated with said head portion11b.

The clip is moulded in a single operation from nylon.

The tongue portion 11a is approximately four and one quarter incheslong, three sixteenths of an inch wide, one thirty-second of an inchthick and has transverse serrations 11a on one surface thereof.

The head portion 11b is integral with the tongue portion and is in theform of a rectangular frame five sixteenths of an inch wide and threeeighths of an inch long and one eighth of an inch deep.

The ratchet means 12 comprises a pawl 12a disposed within the headportion 11b and secured thereto by a thin web or extension 12b, the pawl12:: having an inclined serrated end face 12a and a ratchet constitutedby the serrated surface 11a of the tongue portion 11. The position ofthe extension 12b in relation. to the frame work and the direction ofinclination of the end face 12a are such as to allow of the introductionof the tongue 11a into the head portion 11b in the appropriate directionto eifect engagement between the pawl 12a and the surface 11a.

In use the tongue portion 11a is introduced into the head portion 1112,such tongue portion being disposed about the cables C to be bound, anddrawn through sufiiciently to tighten about said cables, the pawl 12abeing displaced to allow the engagement. Upon effecting tightening andreleasing of the tongue portion lie, the tension in the tongue portioncauses the pawl 12a: to pivot and thus the serrated end face 12a toengage the serrated surface 11a of the tongue portion He, the: tonguebeing gripped between the pawl 12a and the adjacent side of the headportion 1112 thereby preventing return motion of the tongue portion.

The invention is not restricted to the particular features of theembodiment hereinbefore described since alternatives and modificationswill readily present themselves to one skilled in the art.

For example it might be thought necessary to provide means whereby theclip might be applied to such as a mounting board and in such a case anextension to the head portion of the clip in the form of a lug will beprovided, such lug being adapted to receive a fixing screw or the like.

Whilst the use of nylon as a material for the binding clip is proposed,alternative materials such as high density polythene or polypropylenemight be used with equal advantage.

Furthermore the actual necessity for provision of serrations on thetongue portion and/or on one or both sides of the jaws will bedetermined by materials used since the gripping effect may be attainedeither by the engagement of complementary or sensibly complementarysurfaces or by arranging that a hard element bites into the tongueportion. If the pawl member is of a harder material than the tongueportion then the provision of serrations on the tongue portion might notbe strictly necessary.

The binding clip according to the present invention possesses thedistinct advantage that a given clip may be applied to a bundle ofcables of a range of overall diameters, the clip being drawn tight andthe excess tongue portion being cut oh. If a clip of greater length thanany individual clip available is required then a requisite number ofclips may be joined together in end to end disposition.

I claim:

1. A binding clip for cables and the like comprising an elongatedflexible tongue, a substantially rectangular frame of a thicknessgreater than that of said tongue and constituting a head, one end ofsaid tongue being integral with outer face of one element of said frame,a pawl in said frame, one end of said pawl being integrally connected tothe inner face of said one element, said connection constituting apivot, said pawl extending to about the end of said frame opposite tosaid one element, the free end of said pawl being tapered, the free endof said pawl being displaceable from within said frame by the passage ofthe free end of said tongue through said frame between said pawl andsaid opposite end, said pawl being adapted to return into said frameupon removal of said tongue end from said frame.

2. A binding clip according to claim 1 characterized in that thethickness of said pawl at said connection is substantially greater thanthe thickness of said connection.

3. A binding clip according to claim 2 characterized in that said pawltapers from said connection to the free end of said pawl.

4. A binding clip according to claim 1 characterized in that saidinclined face is serrated and the corresponding face of said tongue isserrated.

5. A binding clip according to claim 1 characterized in that one face ofsaid frame is coplanar with one face of said tongue and the thickness ofthe base of said pawl is about the thickness of said frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS RaymerJuly 27, 1920 Frank Mar. 7, 1939 Pehaczek Dec. 23, 1952 Wrobel Dec. 1,1959 Rapata May 17, 1960 Hallsey Jan. 24, 1961 Rifkin Mar. 28, 1961 DeBartolo Apr. 18, 1961

1. A BINDING CLIP FOR CABLE AND THE LIKE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE TONGUE, A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR FRAME OF A THICKNESS GREATER THAN THAT OF SAID TONGUE AND CONSTITUTING A HEAD, ONE END OF SAID TONGUE BEING INTERGRAL WITH OUTER FACE OF ONE ELEMENT OF SAID FRAME, A PAWL IN SAID FRAME, ONE END OF SAID PAWL BEING INTEGRALY CONNECTED TO THE INNER FACE OF SAID ONE ELEMENT, SAID CONNECTION CONSTITUTING A PIVOT, SAID PAWL EXTENDING TO ABOUT THE END OF SAID FRAME OPPOSITE TO SAID ONE ELEMENT, THE FREE END OF SAID PAWL BEING TAPERED, THE FREE END OF SAID PAWL BEING DISPLACEABLE FROM WITHIN SAID FRAME BY THE PASSAGE OF THE FREE END OF SAID TONGUE THROUGH SAID FRAME BETWEEN SAID PAWL AND SAID OPPOSITE END, SAID PAWL BEING ADAPTED TO RETURN INTO SAID FRAME UPON REMOVAL OF SAID TONGUE END FROM SAID FRAME. 